1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile telecommunications network and, in particular, to informing mobile stations as to prior requested emergency call connections from substantially the same geographic area.
2. Description of Related Art
The Emergency Service Bureau (ESB), more commonly known in the United States as 9-1-1 service, provides emergency assistance to persons in need of help. A mobile telephone subscriber, for example, seeking emergency service merely has to dial a short unique number (such as 911 in the U.S.) to establish a fast emergency call connection with a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) providing the ESB service. With the improvements and developments in mobile telecommunications technology, the PSAP is able to ascertain the approximate location of the mobile station (via cell identity, or global positioning system -GPS, etc.), and provide emergency assistance to the requesting mobile station based on mobile station location.
In case an emergency incident occurs within a densely populated or frequently traveled location, such as a major highway or crowded public place, it is known that a large number of emergency calls reporting the same incident are often generated towards an associated PSAP. This is because individuals reporting the incident are unable to previously determine whether the incident has already been reported to the PSAP. While the ESB does not want to discourage individuals from reporting emergencies, such an increase in the number of emergency 911 calls can inundate the PSAP terminals with known adverse effects. For example, such multiple reports of the same incident tie up the PSAP operators and associated communications links and, may prevent operators from handling new, and perhaps higher priority, emergency calls. Inability to answer and assist a new emergency situation is obviously undesirable within the ESB system.
Accordingly, there is a need for a mechanism to help limit or reduce the number of emergency calls placed and answered relating to the same emergency or incident.